Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Mon day offered an immediate solution to the salary crisis affecting 458 teaching and non-teaching staff of 139 Diocesan Society of Educa tion (DSE) schools — but only if the respective school managing committees sign their appointment orders, a condition the DSE says runs contrary to the High Court’s October 3, 2025 judgment. Responding to the is sue raised during Zero Hour by Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai, Sawant told the Goa Legislative Assem bly that the government could release the pending salaries within two days if the local managements signed the appointment letters instead of the DSE secretary. The Chief Minister said the government wanted to ensure that the employees were paid despite the on going legal dispute, which is currently before the Su preme Court. “We want to pay the teachers by keep ing the court matters aside. If the appointment orders are signed by the respective school management chair persons, we will release their salaries immediately,” Sawant said. The assurance, however, does not resolve the core dispute between the government and the DSE.
Ad vocate Pancham Phadte, appearing for the DSE, said, “The High Court, in its judgment dated October 3, 2025, upheld the administrative powers of school managements and directed the Director of Edu cation to grant approval to pend ing appointments of employees in schools. The court also quashed the com munications issued by the Directo rate of Education requiring appoint ment orders to be signed by school managing committee chairpersons before granting regular approval to the appointments.” The issue has left hundreds of em ployees working without salaries and facing mounting financial uncertainty. “The salary delay has created fear and anxiety among DSE em ployees, causing serious financial hardship and uncertainty over their livelihoods and job security. The government must comply with the High Court order and release their pending salaries,” Sardesai told the House. Leader of the Opposition Yuri Ale mao accused the government of turn ing the dispute into an “ego issue” de spite the High Court’s directions.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
He also alleged that the employees were being made to suffer because the in stitutions were minority-run schools and raised the separate issue of con tract para-teachers. Sawant rejected the allegation of discrimination, maintaining that the same requirement applied to other government-aided educational insti tutions. The timing of the government’s conditional offer is significant, with its Special Leave Petition challenging the High Court judgment scheduled to come up before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, September 1.
